Milanzi MP under pressure to join PF

Milanzi MMD MP Whiteson Banda is under pressure to join the PF regime as an under-minister.

But the Watchdog has been reliably informed that MP Banda has so far rejected the offer.

‘Top OP guys and that Lameck Mangani are the ones who have been trying to recruit him but he has on three occasions refused’, said a PF source.

President Michael Sata last week said he will look around Eastern province for more MPS from the opposition to appoint as deputy ministers.

But 38-year old Banda is said to have told Mangani and the OP agents that his political ideologies are different from that of the PF.

He also told the recruiters that he can’t join a party which has destroyed agriculture in his constituency.

Earlier this year, the PF lost a court attempt to nullify Banda’s election as MP for Milanzi.

Lusaka High Court declared MMD’s Milanzi Member of Parliament (MP) Whiteson Banda as duly elected in the last tripartite elections.

High Court judge, Christine Phiri said the petitioner failed to prove his case to a higher standard of probability that required the court to nullify the election results.

Losing Patriotic Front (PF) candidate Musa Banda had petitioned the election results on grounds that the election was not held in a free and fair atmosphere as a result of electoral malpractices.

Mr Justice Phiri said the burden of proof rested on the petitioner, but noted that evidence from witnesses was based on hearsay without tangible proof being brought before court.

“I find that the petitioner on all the evidence adduced in this court has failed to prove this case beyond a required standard of probability and I accordingly dismiss this petition and declare that Mr Banda was duly elected,” she said.